Pres. Duterte expresses possibility of confronting China someday.
DUTERTE EXPRESSES – Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed the possibility that he will confront China someday over the arbitral ruling.
Based on a recent news report in Phil Star Global, Pres. Duterte said that he will invoke the verdict of the arbitral tribunal on the territorial dispute between the Philippines and the China when the Chinese would start extracting minerals from the sea.
According to the 71-year-old President, he will do something if the China would get oil or uranium from the “bowels of the sea.”
He expressed that he told China that he will have to confront them someday and it might be during the time when they will begin on getting minerals from the disputed areas.
“Ako man rin ang may-ari niyan (I am its owner]. You claim it by historical right, but by judgment I won and it’s mine,” Pres. Duterte said based on the report.
However, the Chief Executive of the country once again emphasized that the Philippines cannot stop China from putting up a radar station on the disputed Scarborough Shoal as it cannot match the force of China.
Based on the news report, the President said that he cannot permit the Filipino soldiers to go their way to the shoal to prevent fatalities. According to him, the country is not “in a position” to declare a war against China.
According to the report, the Chief Executive expressed that even the United States cannot stop China. He added that the Americans, in the first place, did not come.
Regardless of the firm stand of the China on the territorial dispute, Pres. Duterte said that he is trying to work out the economic ties between the Beijing and Manila.
The relationship of China and the Philippines has been challenged during the previous year when the territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea came on the surface.
The Arbitral Ruling’s judgment ended up with Philippines having the rights over the disputed areas. However, China did not step back on its claims.
Based on a previous news report, the warm relationship between the two countries was slowly rekindled when Pres. Duterte visited China. According to the report, he even brought home lots of investment projects.
A few time after the official visit of the President to China, the Filipino fisherfolks were then allowed by China to fish on the disputed shoal. The people have mixed reactions over it. Some tags it as an improvement while some takes it as a sign of ownership.
